Brawl as Labour chooses candidate

A meeting to pick a Labour candidate for a key London seat descended into a brawl, with pushing, shouting and claims of vote-rigging.

Euro MP Robert Evans was last night declared as Labour's choice to fight Brent East at the next election after he won a ballot of local party members by 113 to 111 votes.

But he and the rivals who lost to him left via a back door when the meeting of 250 activists in Dollis Hill broke down in chaos.

One Labour member present said: "There was shouting and pushing. This was not democracy."

Barrister Yasmin Qureshi, who came second, is appealing to Labour headquarters. Her supporters claim three postal votes for her were disallowed for no valid reason.

One beaten rival said today: "This is possibly fatal for Labour in Brent East." Labour lost the seat to the Lib-Dems at a byelection last September.

Mr Evans said: "Of course people are disappointed if they missed out. Our challenge now is to win the seat back."